Where the Lovelight Gleams
by Yubbzy
Summary: An overworked Rachel is left alone in New York for the holidays, until a familiar friend tries to make her Chrismukkah wish come true. Just a little fluff piece/writing exercise.


After a _long_ break from writing, this happened. I think it should be known that I've only seen about 20 minutes, collectively, of season four. And that I wrote this back in October (so I guess you can think of it as an AU where Faberry Heaven happened). Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and happy holidays!

* * *

Christmas music from the surrounding apartments seeped through the thin walls and mixed together in some abominable medley of jolly and good will. And all Rachel could do about it was turn up her own music and continue her stretching.

It was winter break, and surprisingly, Rachel would give anything to be anywhere but New York. New Haven sounded especially wonderful, right then. At least, she wouldn't mind being at the apartment if she had company, which is why New Haven sprang to mind.

She and Quinn hadn't seen each other since Thanksgiving, and that was far too long in Rachel's mind. She'd like to show her around the new apartment and take her to all of Rachel's favorite places. Rachel could easily imagine herself sitting across from Quinn in the cozy little coffee shop on the corner, where they'd drink soy lattes and hot chocolate with whipped cream. They'd talk of college and their bright futures, the New York stages on Broadway and off. Quinn would spend the night and the two of them (plus maybe Kurt and possibly Brody) would stay up late and have a movie marathon. And when the visit was over, she'd brave the goodbyes, and look into Quinn's warm, hazel eyes and smile and hug her _so tight_.

If there was one person from McKinley that Rachel missed seeing every day, it was Quinn. She'd had that, not so startling, revelation at Thanksgiving. It was the first time she'd seen the woman in months, her hair long and her usual sundress complimenting her dancer's figure. It was almost as if the other glee members never existed when she and Quinn talked, that night. As for Quinn, Rachel noticed that she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of the brunette, which was surprising, yet exciting – because she may have dressed to impress, flaunting her recent makeover.

It was one of the best nights Rachel had in a while, and after thinking about it, she just…really wanted to see her again. And she would. She would grab her Metro North pass, hop on the next train to New Haven and give Quinn a surprise visit. But she didn't have the time.

Instead, she was stuck at home, preparing for this huge project for her dance class, while writing a monologue for her acting class and rehearsing for her role in the school's musical. Rachel Berry hadn't left her apartment for days.

It was getting incredibly close to the holidays. So close, in fact, that Kurt had already gone back to Lima to spend some quality time at the Hummel-Hudson's. Rachel would have _liked_ to go home; that's what she told her dads during their last phone call, and they said they'd understand if they were one Berry short for their annual _Chrismukkah Extravaganza._ But just for this year.

She didn't want to miss a minute of her family's celebration. The days before Christmas were spent decorating and baking, caroling and playing with her dad, Hiram's, dreidel. Every once in a while, her dads would pause in the kitchen entranceway and kiss under the mistletoe, as in love as ever. And when she'd notice the get-a-roominess between them, she'd head out for a walk around Lima, welcoming the biting wind onto her warmed cheeks.

She'd like to maybe run into Finn to test if they could ever be friends. She'd explain to him that there were some things she said during the break up that she didn't really mean…and then quickly explain that it was the part about him being her last love, before he got his hopes up.

Breaking up with Finn helped her realize how right Quinn was, senior year. Of course, Brody helped Rachel re-establish her potential, but it wouldn't be fair to ignore Quinn's attributions to her rebuilding process. She was starting to understand that you can't plan out all aspects of your life, especially when it came to romance, and Finn wasn't her end-all, be-all.

Rachel wasn't sure who her last love would be (though, considering her recent thoughts about a certain blonde, she had a feeling she knew who she _wanted_ it to be). She just knew that it wasn't Finn, and despite a great start with Brody, she didn't think he was "the one," either – and she told him as much on their second, and last, date. Thankfully, they remained friends.

So, yes, she would like to do a lot of things, but she couldn't.

She was about to start another practice performance, when her phone rang. With a little grumble, she paused her music and walked across her apartment, left undecorated for the season, to where her cell phone lay. When she saw it was Quinn calling, her broody mood almost instantly cleared.

"Quinn, hi!"

"Hey, Rachel. I just wanted to see how your week's been going. Everything going good with that project?"

"This week has been brutal, but thank you for asking. And the project is going well, but I still want to get at least one more rehearsal in for tonight. Thanks again for the help. Because of you, I'm sure to knock Cassie off her feet!"

The project was a self-choreographed performance to a song randomly chosen from the student's iPod. The first song to play on Rachel's was Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues," which threw her a little. When she got home, her original plan was to talk to Kurt about it, but he was at work. Her next thought was to call Brody, but he was out with friends. Eventually, she got a hold of Quinn and after two hours worth of pep talks and pointers – along with a few tangential conversations – Rachel was ready to take on the assignment.

Quinn gave her empty dorm her patented Rachel Smile, "It's no problem, really. I'm sure you would've wowed her, even if I didn't help. Anyway, I also called to see when you plan on going to Lima."

With a loud sigh, Rachel collapsed cross-legged onto the floor, "I just…can't this year, Quinn. You have no idea how much I want to, but I have so much to do. I think the only thing I'm celebrating, this year, is the few free hours I have left for sleep."

"No, I get that. I'm the same way, too. Who knew Yale would be so much work," she half-joked.

The truth was things _weren't_ the same for Quinn. She decided to keep her first year light, to get a feel for the college life before truly delving in. Of course, she still had a sizeable work load, but it was nothing that Quinn couldn't manage.

She had plenty of free time to go down to Lima. She just didn't want to go if Rachel wasn't going to be there.

It's not that she didn't miss her mom or her other friends, she really did; she just…missed Rachel more. And not seeing Rachel meant that the trip probably wouldn't be worth the drama that was sure to come from Quinn Fabray returning to Lima, or her mom's constant badgering of "Have you auditioned for any plays, yet?" and "Have you found a boyfriend, yet?" and "Have you at least made friends, yet?"

She didn't want to deal with it; because she was still trying to get a feel for the stage, and she didn't want a boyfriend ever again, and she _has_ made friends, but she didn't feel like having to prove their existence just because her mom thought she may turn into some awkward loner, now that she was done with popularity.

They talked for as long as Rachel could manage, and with a promise to talk again soon, they hung up. After their nightly routines were completed, two beds found themselves occupied for the rest of the night. Except Rachel seemed to be the only one who could sleep.

As Quinn lay awake in her bed, she couldn't stop thinking about Rachel. It wasn't fair that she couldn't make it home for Christmas, and it wasn't fair that her dads wouldn't get to see her for the holidays. That thought made her pause.

Of course, it wasn't fair to her own mom for Quinn to stay in New Haven. But now that she knew what Rachel's plans were, she _really_ didn't feel like going home. And it's not like Quinn wouldn't have time to visit later.

She sighed and turned on her side. For a while, she just stared at the framed picture on her nightstand. It was of Rachel and herself from graduation day, all big smiles and hugs. Quinn knew there was another reason why she cared so much about Rachel's plans. She already knew, so there wasn't any point in her staying up all night thinking about it. _Again._

Quinn also knew that if Rachel would just _calm down_ about the dance project, she'd have time to fly home. She had probably already mastered the routine, but Rachel's perfectionist attitude was running her to the ground. And even if she wouldn't take a break, to not celebrate at all…it's not like some vegan eggnog, a little garland, and a Skype call would be the worst way to spend Christmas.

If it weren't so cliché, the idea that hit her would've made her spring upright.

With a little smile, she snuggled into her pillows and drifted off to sleep. She'd need a lot of rest, because what she had in mind was going to take _a lot_ of planning.

* * *

It was two days later, and Rachel decided that the holiday season was out to get her.

The day started with Rachel waking up to her usual routine – along with the newly implemented dance rehearsal and line reading – and finished with some extra time to spare. Right as she sat down with her laptop, already opened to Facebook and ready to catch up on her friends' lives, her phone rang next to her. She absentmindedly answered as she scrolled through status updates.

"Rachel Berry's phone, who's calling?"

"Oh, Rachel, thank _god_ you answered," was Kurt's frantic reply.

Hearing her friend like this startled Rachel, "Kurt? Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I forgot my suit at the dry cleaners!"

There was a short pause on Rachel's end, while she rolled her eyes and tried not to outwardly sigh or groan. "I don't see how that's a very big deal, Kurt…"

"You don't understand. This is a very high-end place with very strict rules. This is the last day they'll hold my outfit. If I don't get it picked up today, it's going to end up in their garbage. They'll throw my suit in the _garbage_, Rachel! Besides, you could use a little time out of the apartment. When's the last time you left that place?"

With a sigh, Rachel admitted defeat. It wasn't like she'd have to go out of her way to get the suit for him. Even if she did, it was for Kurt, so of course she'd do it.

"Great! It's at the Stitch in Time Dry Cleaning and Tailor," and with that, he hung up.

It turns out there were _three_ Stitch in Time Dry Cleaning and Tailors scattered all over New York, New York. And Kurt hadn't answered his phone since the first call. On the subway, Rachel tried calling him one last time. And, of course, she had to leave a voice message.

"Hello, Kurt. The last one is in Queens. I hope it's there, otherwise I think the suit is gone for good."

She'd also attempted to call both of her dads, but neither picked up. She tried Quinn – since she had made a promise, after all, and Rachel's polite nature was the only reason she had the sudden urge to hear Quinn's voice – but she wasn't answering, either. _Everyone's too busy with celebrating to talk_, she thought to herself as the train came to a stop.

Kids laughed and played in the urban winter wonderland, twirling beneath the flurrying snowflakes, but Rachel barely noticed. She merely strode toward her destination, a sense of determination about every movement she made. She needed to get home and finish her monologue, then she'd have the rest of her break to practice that dance.

When the clerk behind the counter told her that no man named Kurt Hummel ever left a suit there, Rachel nearly slapped him. She almost had her hand up before she stalled and took a deep and calming breath. And then argued with him for five minutes.

She showed no signs of stopping, until a familiar voice cleared its throat and said, "Fancy meeting you here."

Rachel quickly turned and mustered up something of a smile when she saw Brody standing there.

"Hello, Brody. Nice to see you," she greeted; too aggravated to wonder why he was in a random dry cleaners so far from home.

With quick glances between the frustrated clerk and the woman before him, Brody leaned down a little and quietly said, "I don't think they have the suit, Rach."

For a moment, Rachel was quiet before she gave a loud, exasperated sigh. With that, she stormed out of the dry cleaners, rubbing at her temples. Brody quickly followed after her.

"Hey, Rachel! What's wrong?"

"Everything," Rachel practically shouted without turning around or stopping, "Everything is wrong, Brody! I'm stuck here running stupid little errands while all my friends are home with their families. Things would actually be better if I could get a hold of my dads, but they're apparently too busy to talk to their own daughter! To top it all off, I'm practically _drowning_ in course work and I just want to curl up into a little ball and spend the rest of my holiday vacation like that."

Brody stared at Rachel for a moment before asking, "What do you have left for school work, Rach?"

"I…well, I-I have a monologue I need to finish, and I need to study my lines for my part in the musical. And then there's Cassie's project-"

"Ah! That's it, isn't it? You've been obsessing over that dance thing."

Rachel floundered a bit, "It's a big deal, Brody!"

"Yeah…and so are you," he gave her a small smile and looked up into the sky, watching the snow fall a little harder than before, "I think the reason you're so stressed about everything is that you haven't given yourself much 'Me Time' lately. You haven't had fun."

For a brief second, Brody watched a contemplative Rachel.

Yeah, he liked Rachel a lot. And he'd like to be with her, but if Rachel didn't think that she'd be truly happy with him, then Brody wanted to find out how she _could_ have that happiness. Who knows, maybe this plan would help her find what she was looking for.

"Hey, do you know how to ice skate," he asked her with a grin.

"Brody, remember what I said about us not being able to date."

"What, friends can't ice skate? Come on," and with that, he gently took her hand and they went off to find the nearest ice rink.

He didn't know much about their past with each other, and he didn't know much about Quinn in general. But the plan sounded like a good idea, and anyone who went this far for a friend – especially Rachel – was good in his book.

* * *

It turned out the closest ice rink was a little, well, creepy, so they decided to take the subway to Manhattan. They spent their time at the rink skating, and people watching, and there might have been a Christmas carol or two thrown in for good measure. Eventually, they both got tired, so Brody offered to see Rachel home.

It was around 7:30 by the time they got to Rachel's apartment. They stood in a comfortable silence during the elevator ride, instrumental Christmas music lazily drifting through the air. When the elevator finally stopped at her floor, Rachel was the only one to walk out.

Brows furrowed, she turned to look at Brody, "Aren't you coming in?"

"Uh, no. I'm just gonna head back to my place," he said, his eyes glancing from Rachel to her door, "Why don't you just go inside and try to make the most of the rest of your vacation."

And with a wink, a slight nod, and a "Happy holidays," the elevator doors closed and Brody was gone.

Rachel simply shrugged and headed to her door. Something felt off. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, it was just…different. Still, she grabbed for her pepper spray and rape whistle, just in case, and cautiously opened the door.

The sight before her nearly gave her a heart attack.

Had she been robbed? No, to be robbed, things would have to be missing. Some psycho broke into her apartment and _decorated it._ She hadn't been watching the news, lately, but she thought she would have heard about some Holiday Bandit, hell bent on turning homes into sets from 1950's Christmas specials.

She hung up her coat and walked further into the apartment. It was then that she realized that everything looked oddly familiar. From the sprig of mistletoe that hung above the kitchen entrance, to the Christmas tree in the corner that was stationed next to a golden menorah (placed on an end table that was being used as a makeshift mantle, Rachel supposed).

Rachel had walked in on a near-perfect replica of the Berry home during their _Chrismukkah Extravaganza._

"What…" seemed to be the only thing she could say.

Before she could try to come up with a plausible explanation, the soothing voice of Barbra Streisand floated from her bedroom.

_I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love, even more than I usually do…_

Soft and careful footsteps came from the hallway until a vaguely nervous-looking Quinn could be seen. She was wearing what Rachel could best describe as a Christmas dress. It made her look like a young, elegant Mrs. Claus…which was a decidedly awkward thought.

"You said you couldn't make it to Christmas – or, Chrismukkah, I guess," she said with a shake of her head, "so I thought I'd bring Chrismukkah to you."

With her mouth agape, Rachel simply stared at Quinn. This must have been why she wasn't answering her phone. And considering her dads' utter lack of the ability to keep a secret; this was probably why they weren't answering, either. All of this had to have taken her _at least_ the entire day to put together. And if it weren't for Kurt's suit…

Kurt's suit.

"There was never a suit, was there," she asked Quinn, her voice slightly monotone due to shock.

Quinn paused for a moment before shaking her head again, "No, there was never a suit."

And then Rachel started to cry.

This wasn't exactly how Quinn expected things to go, so she started to panic a little. She rushed over to Rachel, but she didn't know if she was allowed to comfort her, since she was the reason Rachel was crying in the first place. Instead, she just stood in front of her, eyebrows scrunched in concern, as she tried to apologize for what she thought was a brilliant idea.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry. I thought it would suck to be alone for Christmas, so I called our parents, and Kurt and Brody, and planned this. I thought it would cheer you up, but I guess it just made things worse."

As Quinn apologized, Rachel's crying grew softer and softer. Soon, there was just watering, smiling eyes and a few sniffles. She shook her head, which got Quinn to stop her little speech.

"So…are you okay?"

With a small smile, she looked into Quinn's worried eyes before wrapping her arms tightly around her.

"Do you have any idea how much time I spent looking for that _stupid suit_," Rachel asked with a tiny giggle.

"Sorry, but it was the only way we could think of to get you out of the apartment."

Rachel let out a content sigh as they broke the hug, "Thank you so much. This is…it's _fantastic_," she slowly twirled and took everything in, only then noticing a few presents under the tree and the smell of what could only be her Daddy's tofurky recipe, "It must have been a lot of work to put all of this together…"

Quinn gave a slight nod as she headed to the kitchen, "It was, but like I said, it wasn't just me in this. With Kurt and Brody helping with the distraction, your dads helping with the layout, and my mom helping with decorations…it wasn't as hard as it could have been."

Rachel stopped Quinn in the kitchen entranceway before she could go further, "What I don't get is, why did you do all of this, Quinn? I mean, I love it, and I am so happy you did this for me. But if you had time to plan this, then you _must_ have had time to visit your mom in Lima. What's in it for you?"

Quinn bit her lip lightly and stared into Rachel's eyes, her own starting to water, "Seeing you happy. Knowing that I'm the reason that you're happy," with a watery laugh she added, "Getting you to calm down for one damn second about the project."

Rachel just stood in front of Quinn, searching her eyes. She'd seen that look on her before – multiple times, in fact. Hazel eyes shiny and practically begging, all those times when Quinn had told her that she was meant for great things. She was only just then realizing what that look might mean. And it filled her with a tentative hope.

Quinn was getting uncomfortable with Rachel observing her so closely. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about Rachel's sudden mood shift. While it was apparent that there was a change – especially in her expression – Quinn couldn't quite tell what it was. She thought she'd seen that look before, but only when…

"I think the tofurky's done," clearing her throat, she made to turn around, but Rachel lightly grasped her forearm.

"Wait! I…um, the mistletoe," Rachel said, pointing directly above them, "I mean, it is tradition, after all."

With a brief nod of her head, Quinn leaned forward to kiss Rachel. The first kiss was timid and careful. The second kiss, while accidental, was a little harder yet just as sweet. They were merely pecks, but the interaction left them both blushing and slightly dazed.

"The…the, uh, tofurky," Rachel reminded, and Quinn smiled and nodded and went into the kitchen.

* * *

While Rachel fixed their plates, Quinn set up her laptop on the kitchen table. Even though Rachel seemed to enjoy her first surprise well enough; Quinn wasn't finished with her plan, yet.

With a quizzical look, Rachel placed Quinn's plate where she was already seated, and placed her own plate across from Quinn's. With a shake of her head, Quinn grabbed Rachel's plate and moved it to the spot next to hers.

"No, no. Come here. You've got one more surprise."

Rachel slowly sat down in her new spot as Quinn clicked and typed a few things on the laptop, "Oh? What's next?"

"Well, what _Chrismukkah Extravaganza_ would be complete without dinner with the family?"

Quinn clicked the "Video Call" button on Skype and eventually the screen was filled with the vision of the Berry house, along with the Misters Berry and one Judy Fabray sitting at the dinner table with their own meals. Quinn chanced a glance at Rachel, whose smile took up half of her face. This surprise seemed to be very well received, compared to the last one. At least, there were no tears, this time.

Dinner was filled with fun conversation shared between the two families, along with shy looks and accidental thigh brushing shared between Quinn and Rachel. Things got a little bit uncomfortable when Judy asked Quinn about any potential boyfriends, but other than that, dinner went off without a hitch. In Rachel's opinion, it ended far too soon, but it was getting late. So they said their goodbyes and ended the call, which left the two girls alone in the silent apartment.

"Do you plan on…I would like it if you stayed tonight. If you didn't mind," Rachel said.

Quinn got up and stretched a little, the day's labor starting to take its toll on her, "If it's not too much trouble. I mean, I could go find a hotel-"

"No! I mean, it's already pretty late. And what's the point in spending the holidays alone," she asked with a small quirk of her lips, "I just thought of a great idea! Why don't I go get my DVD of _It's a Wonderful Life _and we can cozy up with some hot tea or vegan-friendly hot chocolate? We can even change into some PJ's first. It'll be like a slumber party!"

Quinn, smiling at Rachel's excitement, gave a nod of approval, and Rachel bounced over to her movie collection.

Soon, they settled on the couch, hot tea in hand (if Quinn was going to drink hot chocolate, she was going to drink it the _right_ way), and hit the play button on the DVD menu. It took them fifteen minutes into the movie to realize that they had started snuggling.

It wasn't really _snuggling_, Quinn reasoned. They were just closer together than when they started the movie, and their hands were brushing the sides of each other's thighs a little, and Rachel was starting to rest her head on Quinn's shoulder, and okay they were definitely snuggling. Quinn just hoped Rachel didn't mind. Of course, Quinn didn't know how Rachel _could_ mind, since she was the one with her head gently atop Quinn's shoulder, but Quinn wasn't in the presence of mind to be thinking rationally, at that point.

With a comfortable smile, Rachel said, "I like this," removing Quinn from any apprehension.

"Yeah," Quinn asked. Her voice trembled a little, and she tried to mask it by coughing and drinking her tea.

"Yeah," Rachel seemed to get even more comfortable, much to Quinn's delight, "I've been a little lonely since Kurt left. I guess that's mostly my fault, since I decided to hole myself up in the apartment, but still…It's nice to have somebody here."

The movie played on, but neither woman was really paying attention. Rachel was too busy taking in the comfort of having Quinn next to her, and Quinn was too busy trying not to have a heart attack because of the closeness. Since Rachel had seen this movie countless times – it was a part of the _Chrismukkah Extravaganza _marathon – she used the darkness and Quinn's distraction to watch the blonde.

Her feelings for Quinn weren't exactly surprising to Rachel, especially since she was the prettiest girl Rachel had ever met. But it was more than that.

It was Quinn's tremulous alto, and the way she'd dance whenever she sang a solo. It was all the times Rachel would catch Quinn just…_looking_ at her, and the way she tried to hold back her smile whenever they touched.

She loved the way her eyes would light up when Rachel sang something upbeat, or cloud over when she sang something emotional. She loved how she grew from the troubled teenager to the strong young woman who sat next to her at that moment. And when a smile spread across Quinn's face as George Bailey ran through Bedford Falls, wishing everything in his path a merry Christmas, Rachel _knew_ that she wanted Quinn to be her last love.

Soon, the credits started to roll, and Rachel pulled herself out of her thoughts to deal with the DVD. When the movie was off, Rachel and Quinn stared at each other, a sort of awkwardness setting in.

After a few seconds, Rachel finally understood what Quinn was waiting for, "Oh! We haven't discussed the sleeping situation yet."

"Right."

"Okay…Well, my bed should be big enough for us to comfortably share. If that's okay."

"That's…fine. You know, as long as you can keep your snuggling under control," Quinn said with a wink, then blushed because she didn't know what the hell she was thinking.

Rachel nearly choked, but quickly recovered. She wished she could say the same thing about the blush that was taking over her face. She was about to give some kind of response, but found herself staring at Quinn, again. Quinn almost immediately detected the feeling of being watched and returned the gaze.

Rachel coughed, bringing herself back to reality, "So, I'll just go get some extra blankets from the closet."

Quinn nodded, but Rachel didn't move from her spot. She started to get worried until she noticed the look on Rachel's face. It was the same look she had before they kissed under the mistletoe.

The same look she had when she would look at Finn, before they first started dating.

"I just…I wanted to say thank you. Again. I must mean a lot to you, for you to go through all of this trouble."

"It really wasn't a big deal, Rach-"

"It was. It's been a while since it felt like somebody cared this much, and," she took a deep breath, a step closer, and looked into Quinn's eyes, "I'm really glad it was you."

Without preamble, Rachel leaned upward and inward, and kissed Quinn.

It was a real kiss, this time; one with less hesitance, and more connection. There were tilting heads and hands grasping at arms and necks, and Quinn felt like she should be lifting one of her legs like in the old Hollywood movies. It was brief, but there was a promise behind it far greater than one could measure in kisses. When they pulled away, they were both met with shy smiles.

Quinn blushed a little, "We weren't under the mistletoe."

All Rachel did was smile as she turned away and walked toward the closet. All Quinn could do was stay where she was and look out the window into the winter night. For the first time in a while, they felt like they were on the cusp of something great; a new beginning close to the New Year.

_I'll be home for Christmas_

_If only in my dreams_


End file.
